Brace yourselves, people. Because according to New York Magazine, the COVID19 pandemic may have stemmed from a lab accident:
For years, scientists have been hot-wiring viruses to be stronger, deadlier, and more transmissible. The bet was that their work would help prevent a global pandemic. But what if it caused one? @nicholsonbaker8 reports https://t.co/MMhn5Ea21e
— New York Magazine (@NYMag) January 4, 2021
"What happened was fairly simple, I’ve come to believe," writes @nicholsonbaker8. "It was an accident. A virus spent some time in a laboratory, and eventually it got out." https://t.co/0rZDwPvLH8 pic.twitter.com/MB2lYnbRma
— New York Magazine (@NYMag) January 4, 2021
"We still know very little about the origins of this disease," writes @nicholsonbaker8. "Nevertheless, I think it’s worth offering some historical context for our yearlong medical nightmare." https://t.co/0rZDwPvLH8 pic.twitter.com/EdpSprws9F
— New York Magazine (@NYMag) January 4, 2021
"A lab accident — a dropped flask, a needle prick, a mouse bite, an illegibly labeled bottle — is apolitical," writes @nicholsonbaker8 https://t.co/0rZDwPvLH8 pic.twitter.com/f2OAuqFuu8
— New York Magazine (@NYMag) January 4, 2021
.@nicholsonbaker8 writes that he keeps returning to a basic, puzzling fact https://t.co/0rZDwPvLH8 pic.twitter.com/71CgC69n30
— New York Magazine (@NYMag) January 4, 2021
Whoa. Whoa.
This is the first we’re hearing about this possible scenario.
Except, of course, for when we heard about this possible scenario before.
No no no, Twitter has spoken.
Even repeating the *possibility* that COVID escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology or was engineered is a "dangerous" and "debunked" conspiracy theory. https://t.co/KUPk2ad5jF
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) January 4, 2021
So, if we’re understanding this correctly, the idea of the COVID19 pandemic being the tragic product of a lab leak was some tinfoil-hat nuttery back when GOP Sen. Tom Cotton mentioned it as a possibility, but now that a reputable outlet like New York Magazine is seriously discussing it, it’s worth having a conversation?
OK then.
Tom Cotton and others said months ago based on intel reports that COVID lab leak was looking likely. He was called a conspiracy theorist. Now that it’s in NY Mag – it’s trustworthy and a leading hypothesis to be taken seriously. https://t.co/v1HUE0EjZS
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 4, 2021
I was told that Tom Cotton was dabbling in unproven conspiracy theories for suggesting this.
And Tom Cotton used much more measured language. https://t.co/kGSyEJMGeE
— RBe (@RBPundit) January 4, 2021
Recall:
Here we go: Jan 30, 2020 pic.twitter.com/pRcoH0zhnR
— (•_•) (@AsTheWorldBurnz) January 4, 2021
Cotton was repeatedly branded a conspiracy theorist for even acknowledging the lab leak hypothesis.
John Noonan, Tom Cotton’s senior counselor for military & defense affairs, hasn’t forgotten how Cotton was treated by the media:
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) January 4, 2021
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) January 4, 2021
Look, I'm not trying to be snide here. This is just a fair warning. It's getting dangerous guys pic.twitter.com/MZ67uCmPKg
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) January 4, 2021
I wonder if we're now on the ascent from authoritarian know-nothingness? pic.twitter.com/j1DuSvpdnb
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) January 4, 2021
Geez… I'm glad someone put that 30% in their place pic.twitter.com/ig0taal9Pu
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) January 4, 2021
This NBC News one was my fav. It was neither walked back (there was nothing to walk back!) nor was the theory fringe pic.twitter.com/bKDU0CSi4W
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) January 4, 2021
.@FareedZakaria had him pegged early on. Kudos to Fareed for sounding the alarm about dangerous conspiracy theories. pic.twitter.com/CyybnKysDZ
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) January 4, 2021
They were right to be skeptical. The origins of a pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands and cost taxpayers trillions is not something we should have investigated. pic.twitter.com/m18GKMkyGg
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) January 4, 2021
Yes. What is this about anyway? (2/19/20) pic.twitter.com/CGgq4ar0df
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) January 4, 2021
fact checking you can trust! pic.twitter.com/p2c3GmzZ8g
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) January 4, 2021
Sage advice pic.twitter.com/h1xUZ02Cdx
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) January 4, 2021
It's true. How can Very Serious People prevent further conspiracy theories from infecting the public discourse? pic.twitter.com/OEDEG8RTIr
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) January 4, 2021
Business Insider was On. The. Beat. pic.twitter.com/BD0elDFz7d
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) January 4, 2021
And don’t forget about Vox:
Vox for the win here. pic.twitter.com/XWCPkJvjH3
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 4, 2021
And speaking of Vox, here’s Vox alumnus Matt Yglesias to try to cast more doubt on Cotton’s credibility:
It’s really worth saying that, just like Tom Cotton, this article does not present any evidence in favor of “vaccine escaped from a lab” thesis. Like none at all. And it’s very long.
I guess we can speculate just for fun? https://t.co/TzsItcrHr0
— Matthew Yglesias ? (@mattyglesias) January 4, 2021
A lot of outlets kind of ruined the phrase “says without evidence” as a euphemism for when Trump lied.
But the NY Mag article is an example of actually doing the thing. There’s a lot here on various subjects, but no evidence for the central argument.
— Matthew Yglesias ? (@mattyglesias) January 4, 2021
This has come to be A Thing in the China Hawk discourse, but fundamentally “the virus escaped from a Chinese lab” and “the virus was the result of irresponsible Chinese wildlife and wet market regulation” are both reasons to be Mad At China if you want one.
— Matthew Yglesias ? (@mattyglesias) January 4, 2021
Thank you for your input, Matt. You’ve contributed exactly as much to the discourse as you say Cotton and New York Magazine have.
The point, my dude, is that this article will not be met with an on-the-spectrum media meltdown for suggesting the possibility that sloppy safety at a local Virology institute may have led to the outbreak.
Couple this with NSC assessment earlier this week. Coverage was absurd. https://t.co/enGbn8gDgf
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) January 4, 2021
And to be clear, even this latest breadcrumb trail leading to Wuhan Institute of Virology is speculative.
What was absurd was something perfectly logical was met with such breathless and, frankly, lunatic coverage from self professed experts. https://t.co/Fl8m2DndZz
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) January 4, 2021
Bingo.
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